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Research On Software Architectural Formalism Based On π Calculus

Posted on:2004-10-25Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:H M RenFull Text:PDF
GTID:1118360095462825Subject:Computer software and theory
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As the size and complexity of software increase, the overall system structure is becoming more and more complicated. Consequently, software design has its focus shifted from algorithm and data structure to software architecture. Software architecture has become one of the important factors in assuring software system qualities and one of the key technologies to the development of software product line. Therefore, it is emerging as a discipline of intense research in software engineering.Architectural specification is an important research subject in software architecture. Current representation of software architecture is in terms of natural languages and box-and-arrow drawings, which is a great disadvantage for implementing what software architecture promises as a separate discipline. Now a large amount of researchers begin both exploiting general formal methods and developing special architecture description languages to characterize software architecture precisely. Both approaches have important benefits and some weakness, that is, none of them can alone provide sufficient basis for architectural description. Moreover, they usually provide little supports for architecture evolution, refinement, analysis, implementation, etc., thereby significantly hamper software architecture application in practice.A formal architecture description language, πADL, therefore, is proposed as groundwork in this dissertation, based on mobile process theory π calculus and combining formal methods and architecture description languages. Then a series of architectural subjects, such as evolution, refinement, analysis, etc. are explored and studied systematically. Specifically, major contributions are as follows:Firstly, a formal architecture description language πADL is proposed based on process algebra π calculus, to express the structure and behavior of software architecture in a precise and practical way. Furthermore, port composition and six component composition mechanisms as well as their compositional reasoning algorithms are provided to support hierarchical configurations of software architecture effectively.Secondly, an π ADL modeling approach and corresponding formal semantics for dynamic software architecture are developed, which independently models both architectural computation behaviors and dynamic reconfiguration behaviors, with responsibility for the interactions between them as well. It, therefore, can specifymany aspects of dynamic architecture, including cause, time, operations and non-instantaneous change, etc.Thirdly, based on an insight into deficiencies in current architecture hierarchical configuration, ideas of composite behavior and architectural behavior refinement, related specification methods, principles and reasoning algorithm are proposed. They can ensure preserving the higher-level architectural behavior properties across refinement and generating lower-level architectures automatically and correctly.Fourthly, after illustrating of obstacles to implement software architecture according to today's component technologies, the characteristics of software components in both software architecture field and component technology field are analyzed. Then, an architecture-oriented component interface model (AOCIM) is proposed and a two-level formal specification method of AOCIM component behavior protocols is developed in order to support architecture implementation effectively.Finally, based on the theory of π calculus and aiming at the characteristics and requirements of software architecture, a collection of concepts and process relationships are defined formally as a theory foundation, then eight static check methods to determine consistency of π ADL architecture specifications are developed, to raise qualities of architectural specifications and system composition,Briefly, in terms of πADL and related research, software architecture can be described precisely, system behavior properties can be reasoned formally and architectural specification can be analyzed rigorousl...
Keywords/Search Tags:Software architecture, Architecture description language, Dynamic software architecture, Architecture refinement, Architecture implementation, architectural formalism
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